Black Maria (card game)
Black Maria is a popular British card game of the Hearts group for three to six players. It is an elaboration of Black Lady, itself a development of the original American game of Hearts, the progenitor of the group. Black Maria is regarded as one of the best games for three players.
| A trick-avoidance game | |
The top penalty cards in Black Maria | |
| Origin | Britain |
|---|---|
| Alternative names | Black Lady |
| Type | Reverse game |
| Players | 3–6 (3 is best) |
| Skills | Card counting, Tactics |
| Cards | 51 cards for 3 players |
| Deck | French |
| Rank (high→low) | A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 |
| Play | Clockwise |
| Playing time | 10 minutes per hand |
| Chance | Low – moderate |
| Related games | |
| Black Lady • Hearts | |
| Aim: avoid capturing hearts, the ♠A, ♠K or ♠Q | |
The name of the game is derived from the nickname given to the Queen of Spades which plays a key role. The name Black Maria is sometimes used, confusingly, for the related American game of Black Lady; likewise this game is occasionally referred to as Black Lady. While many of the games of the Hearts family may be considered as variants of 'basic' Hearts, Black Maria is "sufficiently different and popular" to justify being described as a separate game.
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